Introduction
by: April Trenary
Researching
love stories is a great chance to
try different types of creative writing.
Along with basic storytelling, I plan to include a love letter, maybe a
love poem, and possibly a little bit Harlequin style. Indian
mythology provides great material to
examine: love at first sight, happily ever after, and “madly” in
love. The mournful love song of a slain bird inspires Valmiki's
use of poetry in the Ramayana,
"You will find no rest for the long
years of Eternity, For you killed a bird in love and unsuspecting"
(Buck 7).
I look forward to watching this topic develop
over the next few weeks.
The
relationship
of Ahalya
and
Gautama is worth considering because it deals with conflict in a
love
relationship. For love to last, the
relationship needs to also include trust and forgiveness.
Relationship problems are faced and dealt
with in both positive and negative ways.
Not to mention, Gautama’s revenge on Indra is hilarious! When I
first read this story
in Narayan’s Ramayana, I
genuinely felt that Ahalya was raped by Indra
with his
deception. However, Buck’s version
claims she saw though the disguise but did not resist because she was
curious
and flattered.
Even bad guys can be moved by Love.
The relationship of Ravana
and Mandodari is an interesting comparison between love and
lust. His treatment of her shows his respect and affection for
his wife. However, Ravana is enamored with Sita, making her the
"other woman" to his marriage. Ravana confuses the passionate
feeling of lust to the emotional attachment of love. He tries to
find self-worth all around him, when the real treasure is Mandodari.
Indian Epics homepage The encyclopedia, story summaries, and pictures will be in my research.
Panchkanya: Women of Substance The history and insight into Ahalya, Draupadi, Kunti, Tara and Mandodari will be useful to explore their romantic encounters.
The Brides of the Bharatas The stories of Gandhari, Satyavati, Ambika, Kunti and Draupadi demonstrate the cliché about the fine line between love and hate.
The Mahabharata: An Indonesian Perspective This website is a good introduction to the Mahabharata to give me a jumpstart for using it on my website project.
The Ramayana: An Enduring Tradition A useful Ramayana resource for ideas and summaries.
Kamat’s Potpourii This
website is awesome for
Hindu studies, especially the Indian Epics.
